"Koei's latest installment in the series changes thing up a bit."

This is my review for the 11th installment of Koei's long-running "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" franchise. This is also my first game review. For this edition Koei takes another 2 steps forward 1 step back and many sidesteps.

Gameplay 8:
While I have often heard this series compared to EA's Madden franchise due to its number of volumes, it is different in the fact that every game plays differently than it's predecessor. This edition goes back to a Ruler only style of play. There is much debate over whether Ruler or RPG style play is better, but in the end it comes down to preference so I will not talk about that.

The entire game takes place on the main map screen, there is no separate battle screen. The game uses an Action Points system similar to 8, meaning you can only take so many actions per turn. This number is affected by the stats of your ruler and strategist as well as by the number of officers in the region and number of cities in the region. This number is capped at 255 which makes controlling many cities difficult and thus strongly encourages the use of regions controlled by AI viceroys.

The domestics portion of the game has been completely changed from previous installments. There is no longer a numerical value given to a city that determines the amount of gold and food that is produced. Instead the cities have a set number of land plots on which you must build facilities. The facilities that are built in a city determine what that city can produce and how much food and gold it makes. Once a city is built up completely (which can be done quite quickly) its income and harvest remain at that level until the facilities are removed by you or are destroyed by your opponent(s).

The main way in which this edition separates itself from the others is in the battles. Since the battles take place on the same map as the rest of the game you are open to more tactics that rely on timing and positioning. This version removes the skill lists of previous versions and instead has one skill per character and a 4 level system of aptitudes that affect how well they use different types of units. These skills drastically affect the way you wage war.

Graphics 9:
This is the first game in the series to use cell shading in addition to the standard art that has been a trademark of the series. While the inclusion of cell shaded characters takes a little getting used to, it does enhance the overall look of the game. The main map is rendered beautifully in full 3D with a movable camera.

Audio 9:
Those that preordered the game through Gamestop got the soundtrack as a bonus disc and it was worth it to those that did. The music is not too dissimilar from the previous PS2 releases but is still some of the better music in gaming. This edition has Chinese voices for all the characters but only 6 (4 for men, 2 for women). The introductions to the scenarios are narrated for you and you have the choice of listening to it in Chinese or English.

Story 8:
If you have read the book on which this game is based then you already know the story behind the game. If you have not then you may want to read the book to help you become acquainted with the characters. If you are looking for a game that will closely follow the story then you will want the tenth installment in the series as there are more historical events.

Control 9:
The controls are pretty simple, as would be expected in a turn-based strategy game. The game has quite an extensive in game help menu and a detailed tutorial to help you learn. Even with the tutorial however the learning curve of this game is still quite high.

Replay value 10:
Between the 12 regular scenarios each with a minimum of 5 rulers and the 8 challenge scenarios the replay value is quite high. If you like to add in your own original characters that can extend the gameplay even further.

Overall 9:
If you like turn based strategy or the Three Kingdoms Period of Chinese history you might want to pick this one up.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/19/07